Back in October last year, we reported a rumor that the Japanese anime classic Akira would eventually be getting a live-action remake. We finally have official confirmation today that says there will not only be a new adaptation, but that it is being split into two movies! Warner Brothers has re-acquired the rights and is putting the first film into production right away, aiming to release the first movie by the summer of 2009. However, the film is primarily going to be adapted from anime artist Katsuhiro Otomo's graphic novel more than the original 1988 anime movie.

Warner Brothers exec Greg Silverman, who previously brought the studio 300 and Batman Begins, brought them Akira and encouraged them to obtain the rights. Although the studio let go of the rights a few years ago, they fought to gain them back in a bidding war, ending up paying in the seven-figures. The studio is describing the film as "Blade Runner meets City of God", which is a fairly fitting description for the story. Each movie will be based on three of the six volumes from Katsuhiro Otomo's graphic novel that was first published in 1982.

The two films will be directed by Irish filmmaker Ruairi Robinson who is making his feature debut after directing a number of short films and commercials. You can watch his 2006 short titled The Silent City on his website here. The script for the two films is being written by first-time screenwriter Gary Whitta.

Akira is a six-volume manga that was later adapted into an anime movie in 1988. The manga takes place in a vastly larger timeframe than the film and involves a far wider array of characters and subplots. Through the breadth of the work, Otomo explicates themes of social isolation, corruption and power. The original anime and and manga was set in Tokyo, but reports are saying this version will take place in "New Manhattan", a metropolis that was rebuilt after being destroyed 31 years ago. This isn't fully confirmed and we're doing our best to see if this is actually the case.

Kaneda is a bike gang leader whose close friend Tetsuo gets involved in a government secret project known as Akira. On his way to save Tetsuo, Kaneda runs into a group of anti-government activists, greedy politicians, irresponsible scientists and a powerful military leader. The confrontation sparks off Tetsuo's supernatural power leading to bloody death, a coup attempt and the final battle in Tokyo Olympiad where Akira's secrets were buried 30 years ago.

I said it before when talking about the rumor, but this is going to make for one awesome live-action movie. Not only am I a big fan of the anime movie, but there are so many great action scenes, like the futuristic motorcycle chases, that could be amazing in the movie. I'm only concerned that they won't give this duo of films the proper budget that they really need, especially with a first-time feature filmmaker working on them. Whatever the case is, I'll hope for the best!

“The myth by no means finds its adequate objectification in the spoken word. The structure of the scenes and the visible imagery reveal a deeper wisdom than the poet himself is able to put into words and concepts” – Friedrich Nietzsche

It has been a year and a half since we broke the news exclusively here on B-D - and about a year since THR confirmed (without credit of course) - that Ruairi Robinson would be making his directorial debut on the live-action adaptation of Akira, a massive two-part apocalypse story that was being produced by Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way and Warner Bros. Pictures. Sad news comes in this weekend as we have learned that not only has Robinson left the project, but Tetsuo and Kaneda's adventure is "dead as a doornail," a report we've confirmed with two separate sources. I can only hope it gets revived in the near future as this could have been one of the coolest effin' movies ever.

"Akira" originated in 1988 as a manga and then as an animated film co-written and directed by Katsuhiro Otomo. The story was set in a neon-lit futuristic post-nuclear war "New Tokyo" in 2019 where a teen biker gang member is subjected to a government experiment which unleashes his latent powers. The gang's leader must find a way to stop the ensuing swathe of destruction.

With its mature themes and cutting-edge animation, "Akira" was a milestone movie in anime and even animation circles, and led the way for anime making inroads into Western pop culture in the 1990s.

The new story was to move the action to "New Manhattan," a city rebuilt by Japanese money and was to hit theaters THIS summer.

"Akira" would have marked the feature directorial debut for Robinson who was nominated for a best animated short Oscar in 2001 for a sci-fi comedy called "Fifty Percent Grey." He also wrote and directed a sci-fi short titled "The Silent City" (watch it at BDTV), Robinson is repped by CAA and 3 Arts Entertainment.

“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

We haven't heard much about the live-action Akira movie since February of 2008 (actually, back then it was reported that two films were being made), but now Collider says that Warner Bros. Pictures is still developing the movie and has hired screenwriters Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby to pen the script. The duo co-wrote the first Iron Man movie and Children of Men.

Akira is based on anime artist Katsuhiro Otomo's six-volume graphic novel masterwork. The film is said to take place in "New Manhattan," a metropolis that was rebuilt after being destroyed 31 years ago. The famous motorcycle will also definitely be a part of the film.

The movie could possibly go into production in 2010.

“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

new manhattan, fucking lame... you americans, shesh get over yourselves.

like why still name the movie akira, if it's not set in japan. you might as well name it "Andy". and the end of the movie will be two over weight guys yelling "Teddy!" and "Kenneth!" at each other. That's just as cool, isn't it?

New Screenwriters for Akira MovieSource: ComingSoonCollider says that Warner Bros. Pictures is still developing the movie and has hired screenwriters Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby to pen the script. The duo co-wrote the first Iron Man movie and Children of Men.

Just to clarify, Alfonso Cuaron wrote Children of Men. These two wrote an unused first draft and got credited for it because the WGA's rules regarding adaptations are and always have been retarded. So basically, my hopes are not up about how Akira will turn out.

Vulture has learned that Warner Bros. is negotiating to reteam with The Book of Eli's Hughes brothers to have them direct a live-action remake of the cult favorite Akira, from a script by Iron Man scribes Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby. (Akira is being produced by Leonardo DiCaprio's company, Appian Way, along with Andrew Lazar, who’s also currently producing an adaptation of DC Comics’ Jonah Hex for Warners.)

Even if you had read all of Katsuhiro Otomo’s epic 1982 manga and/or seen his own 1988 anime adaptation, summarizing the plot to Akira would still prove a bit of a challenge. As near as we can figure, Akira is about the leader of a biker gang who tries to save his kidnapped pal from a powerful supernatural experiment. (It might also be a psycho-philosophical exploration of corruption, the will to power, and the maturation of man and mankind, but we were actually pretty high when we first saw it in college, so please don’t hold us to that.)

Respecting the source's complexity (or perhaps acquiescing to it), Warners won’t proceed with a single, live-action remake of the film, which trimmed away the last half of the 2,182-page graphic novel in order to weigh in at just over two hours. Instead, we hear that the studio is planning to make Akira in two parts, with the first three volumes of the six-volume manga making up the first film, due out next year.

An official release from the studio is expected later this week.

“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

“The myth by no means finds its adequate objectification in the spoken word. The structure of the scenes and the visible imagery reveal a deeper wisdom than the poet himself is able to put into words and concepts” – Friedrich Nietzsche

Rumor of the Day: And the lead in Akira goes to ... Zac Efron?Source: SyFy

Word on the street is that High School Musical veteran Zac Efron is going to star in Warner Brothers' live-action adaptation of the classic manga series and anime groundbreaker.

Co-directors Allen and Albert Hughes (From Hell) are behind this Americanized version—which is said to take place in a post-apocalyptic New Manhattan, rather than the Neo Tokyo of Katsuhiro Otomo's Japanese original—and they're rumored to have offered Efron the starring role, a teenage bike punk whose best friend gets kidnapped by the government and turned into an all-powerful mutant.

Now, before you get all upset at the idea of Efron sullying a beloved geek institution with his very presence, let's not forget that before he got all famous, Efron played young Simon Tam on Firefly.

“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” - Andy Warhol

Rumor of the Day: And the lead in Akira goes to ... Zac Efron?Source: SyFy

Word on the street is that High School Musical veteran Zac Efron is going to star in Warner Brothers' live-action adaptation of the classic manga series and anime groundbreaker.

Co-directors Allen and Albert Hughes (From Hell) are behind this Americanized version—which is said to take place in a post-apocalyptic New Manhattan, rather than the Neo Tokyo of Katsuhiro Otomo's Japanese original—and they're rumored to have offered Efron the starring role, a teenage bike punk whose best friend gets kidnapped by the government and turned into an all-powerful mutant.

Now, before you get all upset at the idea of Efron sullying a beloved geek institution with his very presence, let's not forget that before he got all famous, Efron played young Simon Tam on Firefly.

If the film sucks, it won't be because of Zac Efron. He will be he excuse, but ehh? I still like him as an undeveloped talent stuck in a pre-Big Tom Hanks career. He will be really good at some point, but he needs to make better film choices to give himself a chance.